1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to the field of water conservation systems and, more particularly, to systems for recycling waste water, referred to generally as "gray-water."
2. Background Discussion
Chronic, and often severe, water shortages exist in many parts of the United States and elsewhere in the world. Such water shortages, for example in the Southwestern United States, are growing more acute from year to year as a result of natural population increase and the southwestern shift of population from Eastern and Northern States. The State of California has, as an illustration, presently suffered several years of unusually low rainfall and drought conditions are threatening agriculture, industry, businesses and homeowners. Cities such as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles have mandated water conservation practices and slow- or no-growth policies have been instituted in places because of the unavailability of water for new residences.
Although these water shortage problems may be ameliorated--in the short term--by several years of good rainfall, the long term prognosis is unfavorable considering the increases in population and the ever-increasing need for water. As a result, good water conservation practices are needed if water-scarce regions of the world are to prosper or even survive.
Some heavy water using industries have developed elaborate and expensive treatment facilities for reclaiming used water and reusing the water for industrial purposes. However, such facilities are extremely costly and have, therefore, generally been limited to large industries which can afford the cost, and especially those industries in which the cost of using reclaimed water is less than the cost of water supplied by local water districts or municipalities.
Few serious attempts have, however, been made by homeowners to reclaim gray-water and use if for lawns and the like. What attempts that have been made have usually involved using buckets to collect wash water and emptying the buckets on shrubs and flowers to keep them alive. Ordinarily, to the present inventor's knowledge, has there been any practical system for recycling the relatively large amounts of water used for showering and bathing and for washing clothes. Some problems associated with make-shift methods for reusing gray-water are health problems, and it is possible that in some areas the use of untreated wash water may be in violation of city ordinances or health codes. Moreover, untreated waste water with detergents and soaps may be detrimental to plants and shrubs. In any event, the physical problems of handling buckets of wash water can be expected to limit any serious use of such methods and the amount of fresh water saved by such methods is considered to be minimal considering the amount of fresh water that is used.
What is needed is a system for automatically collecting gray-water and making it available without any physical handling of the water by individuals needed and such that the amount of fresh water saved by the water reuse system is substantial and continual and the costs associated with the water reuse system--including installation cost and maintenance--is at least offset by reduced water bills.
It is the principal purpose of the present invention to provide such a system for reusing gray-water in a safe, economical and trouble-free manner, and for providing a system which works in a continual manner with minimal attention required. Such a system of the present invention is particularly suited for homes, apartments, hotels, motels, office buildings, small businesses. schools, and the like.